Building a Semi Cpbf

[AndrewQLD]

I've been wanting to get a Counter pressure bottle filler for some time, mainly to bottle competition entries and the odd beer for friends. Reports from people who have spent quite a few dollars on commercially available ones have ranged from ok to waste of money, and a lot reported they were hard to use.
Being a tight wad I had a serious look around at parts to make one myself, I wanted it to be easy to clean, dismantle and simple to use with the minimum amount of handles to turn.

The best design I could find for what I wanted was from Langborough Brewery (thanks guys), it's simple and easy to use although I wasn't sure how easy to clean it would be, the same for dismantling.
Then I had a brain fart, surely John Guest had some fittings that would work, and here it is, $59.00:



It can be completely pulled apart for cleaning and parts are cheap enough to replace if need be.
This is the version for glass bottles and the bung can be replaced by a PET cap for the PET bottles.

Gas in through one side, bleed air out of bottle, seal and pressure up, turn off gas in and turn on beer in. Bleed pressure from the bottle slowly by shifting the bung or unscrewing the cap slightly and the bottle slowly fills. cap as normal.

I'll be testing the unit over the next couple of days.

Andrew


Apologies if anyone has gone this route before and I haven't seen it.

 

[dj1984]

That looks the goods mate, if it works would you be willing too post up the parts you used?

 

[brendo]

Will be watching this with much anticipation... have just started kegging and this looks perfect to me.

Cheers,

Brendo

 

[Supra-Jim]

h34r: AHB Bulk Buy h34r:

Looks the goods though, nice and simple.

:icon_cheers: SJ

 

[newguy]

Looks good. If you can knock up a bottle holder, it's well worth it. My first experiment with a homemade CPBF was also my last. My effort didn't look as good as yours but it was basically the same. My problem was that the thing kept rocketing out of the bottle as soon as I tried to bleed in some gas, no matter how low the pressure. If you could somehow clamp the filler down on the bottle so it can't come out it will save you a headache later.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Just tested this under pressure at 60 kpa with no problems.
I'll do a couple of test fills and post the results with a full parts list if it's successful.

Andrew

 

[MarkBastard]

Interesting. I hope this thread doesn't turn out like the other one.

 

[KHB]

That is the same as BYB although his is all stainless.

KHB

 

[AndrewQLD]

Gave the bottle filler a quick run tonight, bottled a Weizen. Worked really well and there was no foaming, flow was easy to adjust by turning the lid tighter or looser and it was dead easy to clean.
here's some pics.




hefe yum


Cheers
Andrew

 

[clarkey7]

Top Work Andrew :beerbang: ,

Thanks also for posting the design and parts. Looks really good. Nice and simple.

Cheers,

PB :beer:

 

[Jye]

If you ever find a 3 way push to connect tap then you could build my dream CPBF. Mine is very similar and I use a syringe needle through the bung to act as the vent.

Are you game to test the pressure at 150-200kpa? This is where I use mine to minimise foaming.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Are you game to test the pressure at 150-200kpa? This is where I use mine to minimise foaming.

No! :lol: , but with a locking nut on the cap I think it would not be a problem. I transfered at my tap pressure which is 90kpa. So the higher pressure is better Jye?

Pockets here's the last two pics. i added a bracket to the back of the CPBF to keep it sturdy.



Andrew

 

[Jye]

Using it at a higher pressure will pretty much eliminate any foaming. If you use it at carbonation pressure then you will get foaming since cracking the bung to release some pressure from the bottle exposes the beer to a pressure lower than its carbing pressure, thus allowing it to release co2 and foam. Operating at a higher pressure never allows the beer to see a lower than carbing pressure and you can also fill quicker since you can have a greater pressure differential between supplied pressure and vent pressure.

 

[AndrewQLD]

I'll have to give it a try Jye, although as the pics showed I really didn't get any foaming to speak of but the fill was slow, I'll try it next time, thanks.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[PhilA]

hi Andrew, what a great idea ,I'vd saved this post for when I need to put one together
Cheers Phil

 

[MarkBastard]

I can't seem to work out exactly how the stainless tubing sits in there. Can you explain it?

 

[Paul H]

Using it at a higher pressure will pretty much eliminate any foaming. If you use it at carbonation pressure then you will get foaming since cracking the bung to release some pressure from the bottle exposes the beer to a pressure lower than its carbing pressure, thus allowing it to release co2 and foam. Operating at a higher pressure never allows the beer to see a lower than carbing pressure and you can also fill quicker since you can have a greater pressure differential between supplied pressure and vent pressure.

I was just about to say that..............

 

[TidalPete]

I can't seem to work out exactly how the stainless tubing sits in there. Can you explain it?

Looks like Andrew has drilled two seperate holes ---- One for the ss tube & one for the JG fitting. Both of them allowing for a tight fit.

TP

 

[Jye]

I was just about to say that..............

Great... you can explain what I just said to me tomorrow

 

[MarkBastard]

Looks like Andrew has drilled two seperate holes ---- One for the ss tube & one for the JG fitting. Both of them allowing for a tight fit.

TP

Drilled two holes in what?

All I can think is that the SS tube goes inside the straight through adapter? Must just happen to be a nice fit?